While the cupcake craze is slowing down a bit in the Triangle, another delicious pastry seems to be enjoying a renaissance, the lowly donut! With Rise and Monuts Donuts opening up in Durham, these cakey and yeasty pastries seem to cause a crowd wherever they show up and Monuts Donuts is no different. Given the popularity of Monuts, its hours are somewhat limited typically closing at either 3pm or 5pm which has caused some angst for this hungry guy! I showed up once, right after closing, pressed my nose up against the window sadly as the last employee cleaned up the space and avoided all eye contact with me. But finally a celebration brought me into Durham on a Saturday morning and I had my aha moment. Wouldn’t donuts just go great with champagne?! Yep, they will today…

Chalkboard menu at Monuts Donuts in Durham, NC Triangle Dining

So off to Monuts we headed and there was a small but peaceful line outside. No pushing or shoving, the Durham hipster elite was out in force with beards, thick-rimmed glasses and plaid shirts. I felt a bit out of place in my light blue button-down shirt and slacks but what the heck! The line moves reasonably quickly and once we got inside Monuts, I spied the chalkboard menu with flavors for the day, lights strung up overhead and people happily munching away on bagel sandwiches and more. Given limited time, sandwiches were not an option so I went with a mixed dozen of donuts ranging from peach bourbon, cider, summer snowflake, red velvet and more. It takes a couple of minutes to order and another couple for my dozen but at $18/dozen I’m willing to wait!

Dozen assorted at Monuts Donuts in Durham, NC Triangle Dining

I get my box and head on back to the party, donuts in tow. People in the line outside are eyeing my box with envy but it’s time to eat! Back at my friend’s place, I carefully open up the box and there are 12 delectable looking doh-doh’s I try out the cider donut first which is a sugar-powdered cake donut with a nice moist crust, yum! Well-fried and definitely more complicated than cider donuts I’d use to try in Massachusetts. The glazed marble is excellent and then I end with the yeasty peach bourbon donut which is covered with a potent fruity glaze, excellent! My friends go through the rest and I try to show some self-control since we’re headed out for a brunch in a bit.

Interior of Monuts Donuts in Durham, NC Triangle Dining

In the end, Monuts Donuts definitely impresses with some wonderful donuts and their bagel sandwiches also looked great. I’ll definitely try to come back soon to Monuts when I can stay and try out their eats without having to do it on the run. But understand I still see them as a once in a while treat given the price and the wait. Because while I loves mah food and donuts, I’d probably just save $7 and 20 minutes with a dozen doh-doh’s at Baker’s Dozen Donuts instead. Monuts does a mean donut but sometimes it’s about convenience too!

Founders from Helios and Foundation put their talents and passion together to bring you the newly opened Bittersweet on E. Martin Street. The small store-front opens up to a modern, interior with lots of black, white and hipster decor. A Pie Hard poster shows a whimsical touch to this otherwise urban space. I grab a quick seat at the bar while waiting for friends. Bittersweet’s small list of house cocktails are in the $10 to $11 range, right in line with other bars in the area. But I get my usual gin and tonic which Bittersweet serves up with a can of tonic. As I hang loose at the bar, I scan the room at Bittersweet. Probably seats about 50 people and the place is bustling on a Saturday night. Some young-un’s, some not so young’uns and everyone in between.

Gin and tonic at Bittersweet in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

As friends arrive (Kristen B- Gadaboutfood, Eliot A- Eat Raleigh) we shift over to a small high-top. Bittersweet can get a bit loud due to its open and small space, be aware. Along with the cocktail menu, there’s a small list of house-made desserts. We order up a Derby pie, cookie plate and more! The kitchen is a bit slow, it takes 15 minutes or more for dessert but what the heck, Bittersweet just opened. My pie is beautifully prepared with a tight layer of pecans on top of my slice and layered with delicious chocolate underneath the sweet filling, excellent. Nibbled on the cookie plate which was also solid.

Derby pie at Bittersweet in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

So welcome to the neighborhood, Bittersweet. I do like the concept of cocktails and dessert! But the bigger question is will Raleigh embrace this combo and concept? Only time will tell but given it’s location and great start, I’m thinking we’ve got a lot more sweet than bitter here, let’s keep our fingers crossed people!

When Garland first opened up as a take-out window under Kings Barcade, I stopped in and did a rice bowl take-out for a meal and thought it was decent but not quite amazing. Fast forward six months later and Garland has expanded into a full dining-room and gone through a huge upgrade. Online reviews were excellent but the memory of my first meal stuck in the back of my head so I didn’t make a huge effort. Then a good friend of mine told me he felt Garland was easily the best new restaurant in Raleigh so my curiosity was piqued. I figured it was time to give this pan-Asian eatery a try and so, five of us headed on over for a Thursday night dinner.

Warm and hip decor at Garland in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Out front, Garland has a distinct, retro and funky look. Silver-plated, mirror like swirls, a metal grate ceiling in front. You open up the door to an eclectic looking space with right-hand side-bar, front room waiting area and lots of paintings and prints in back. Very interesting decor. There’s a bit of wood warmth, creative hipster and chic modern. The table has cut crystal bottles holding small flowers and the staff is all pretty young and beautiful. We get a round table in front and given I’m with experienced Garland diners, I rely on them for helping me choose my first meal. The cocktail menu at Garland is solid with plenty of interesting twists. I go with a Modern President which is coconut-infused rum, vermouth, cinnamon bark and bitters. It’s a delicious drink with a hint of the tropical but the smoothness of a classic drink. The wine and beer list is solid at reasonable prices.

Chicken 65 at Garland in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Bhel puri at Garland in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Around the table we order an array of appetizers ranging from chicken and cauliflower 65 to a pakora on my side. As the apps come to the table, there’s a lot of passing around and horse-trading so we can try it all! Love the pakora that comes out as a crunchy bird’s nest with tamarind and cilantro chutneys. Fried nice and brown without being greasy, it’s a fantastic starter. The 65 apps come with a thick, flavorful and spicy coating, yum! In cauliflower or chicken form, it’s all good. So great start so far for Garland between the cocktails and apps!

My main is the braised pork belly with black rice cake, parsnips and fennel. It’s a sensational looking dish, thick piece of belly with seared parsnip slices underneath, a fennel-turnip slaw on top and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. The pork belly is cooked just perfectly with the meaty richness that only this cut can deliver. Paired with the crunchy and savory black rice cake along with the veggies, there’s a lot of deliciousness in this plate! And the sesame seeds adds a bit of clever contrast to the dish along with a bit more flavor, impressive. The other dishes, ranging from rice bowl to vegetable curry looks pretty amazing too, next time!

The table decides to skip on dessert but I head on back to use the men’s room. And whoa! Very cool floor made of pennies which is literally and figuratively, brilliant. As I head on back to the table I notice the kitschy paintings in back, a silver shadow image of a tree on the side-wall and more. All the decor at Garland is well-thought out with a lot of care, just like their food. Along with the solid service and cool, front waiting area, the place screams “Love me” and you probably will.

Penny floor at Garland in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

After only one visit let’s just color me impressed. I really wasn’t expected to be blown away because I’m really picky about my Asian food but everything is executed with care, thought and passion here at Garland. Interesting plates, cool decor, attentive service and high quality ingredients at reasonable prices make this place a big winner, perfect for a date. And while the menu is small-ish, I’m already looking forward to my next visit and working through it! I’m expecting you to make it on my Best New Restaurants of the Year list, 2014 edition. So thanks Garland for a great first experience. I hoping that you’ll continue to keep the bar high on your food, service and experience while keeping prices reasonable…

Sometimes with all the new restaurants popping up in the area, you sometimes forget about great places you first discover. Old standby’s like the Rockford which has always been one of my Raleigh favorites since coming to the area in 2008. Since it changed ownership a couple of years back, I’ve eaten at the Rockford a bunch of times but nearly always as an after-thought which isn’t really fair. It’s still the same, funky little restaurant with a great urban feel and bargain prices.

Interior at the Rockford in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

The Rockford 2.0 hasn’t changed that much. Shockingly they’ve got signage outside now along with a back balcony I have yet to try. But inside it’s still pretty much the same. Discrete, narrow staircase up to the dining room. The hip circular bar is still here along with the hodge-podge of knick-knacks and french doors leading to the second room. But the place definitely feels cleaner, they are now dusting the place! We grabbed a table by the stairs and plunked ourselves down. Most of the menu looks familiar to what you may have eaten five years ago. Favorites like the ABC (apple, bacon, cheddar sandwich), Cuban sandwich, Asian tilapia roll along with their great black bean quesadilla points still inhabit the menu. But you’ll notice the addition of full plates along with brunch that the Rockford is now doing on Sunday. The prices are still great, under $10 for all the sandwiches with a fresh seasonal side. Nothing is fried at the Rockford which is a nice change of pace. I order up the Asian dumplings along with the daily special, salmon over asparagus and new potatoes.

Asian dumplings at the Rockford in Raleigh, NC Triangle DiningAsian tilapia wrap at the Rockford in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

The other change you’ll note at the new Rockford is the service. Still hipster but a lot more attentive and professional which is a plus. Bottles of wine are half-priced on Wednesday, score! The dumpling appetizer is very good: thin skins, plump pork filling and nicely fried, great start! And my salmon entree is a nice helping of seared firm fish over braised asparagus spears and on top of pan fried new potatoes, simple but well done. Looking around the dining room it looks like the Rockford hasn’t missed a beat in terms of business.

Seared salmon at the Rockford in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

So yeah, what’s old becomes new again especially with new management and the Rockford 2.0 still delivers the goods. Excellent, seasonal eats with fresh ingredients along with good service and a cool ambiance is always appreciated. I’ve always tossed out the Rockford as a great spot for a quick lunch, large dinner party or quiet date and thankfully that chameleon-like quality still remains here. So stop on by 320 1/2 Glenwood for some in the know, old-school Raleigh eats. The Rockford is still going strong after 20 plus years which is a rare thing these days…

The pizza craze continues in the Triangle with the addition of hipster pizza destination, Pizzeria Toro! Located in the Five Points area of Durham next to the Cupcake Bar, Pizzeria Toro has quite the urban feel. Large open dining space with a showcase pizza oven. Communal tables made of reclaimed wood and urban-industrial lighting piped in over the tables with large filaments glowing like fireflies. This place gets busy and as expected a bit noisy and boisterous but that’s the whole urban dealio. In back Pizzeria Toro has got a medium sized bar, a couple of additional tables and a small TV as a concession to the masses. My friends and I were seated on the communal table which gave me a front and center view to all the cooking action!

Service at Pizzeria Toro is very professional, the crew was working its tail off and it’s running smoothly given how new the place is which is impressive. We order up a kale salad, pumpkin appetizer along with a couple of personal pies. Pizzeria Toro has a smallish beer list both draft and bottled, prices are higher than what I expect across the board but hey, you gotta have a brewski with your pizza! Our apps come out first, a rich dark kale salad with pignoli which we share. My oven-roasted pumpkin with chestnuts and guanciale (Italian bacon) is decent. Lightly charred, soft sweet texture with a bit of salty counterpoint, I liked it but wasn’t blown away. The texture was a bit too soft for me and the flavors not quite distinct enough. I’m watching pizzas come out of the oven at a furious pace and its cool to see all the variations and flavors.

Twenty minutes after we order, I get my basic Margherita: San Marzano tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella and basil. It’s a good-looking pie made with great ingredients. Maybe a 14″ personal pie that’s good for one hungry person or shared between two for a light bite. And its a decent pie. It’s got a thickish cornicione with a bit of char, they’ve got it cooked about right. The crust itself is stiff with some bite, maybe some corn meal on the bottom. The sauce on top is light and flavorful with the soft melted cheese and the basil pops out. What I wasn’t a fan of was the flaked salt sprinkled on top, I’d prefer the crust to have a bit of salt in it instead of having hit my tongue. The pies at Pizzeria Toro are good, a bit artisan and similar in style to what I think you might get at Lilly’s or Chow. Italianish but a bit less traditional than Bella Mia in Cary with the choice of toppings. Overall I like Pizzeria Toro but prefer the style at Bella Mia but it’s early for Pizzeria Toro. Overall it’s a good option for high-quality pizza in a hipster environment. A fun noisy spot to put down some good za and wash it down with excellent beer. With Lilly’s Durham and Pop’s down the street, Durham is starting to put down some serious pizza roots, eccelente!